


Wishing

by Marta



Category: Lord of the Rings (Novel)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-31
Updated: 2008-03-31
Packaged: 2017-10-02 18:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta/pseuds/Marta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Harad, Aragorn muses on hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishing

The deserts were full of houseless spirits, _jinn_ in the Haradric tongue. Aragorn had been warned to flee from their sight, for they had little love for outlanders. It had seemed an amusing story, when first the servant-child had told him not to polish his dagger overmuch. Yet grown men – even lords – seemed to fear them. The Haradrim thought them long-dead lords who lingered in Middle-earth, great princes who could offer great gifts – but at a price.

Aragorn knew better than to believe such things. Men did not linger in that way, or if they did they were bound to the Nameless One and so no longer had gifts to offer; but it was still tantalizing, to think of such possibilities. He so longed to see his mother’s face again, to feel Arwen’s warm breath behind his ear as she came close. Even robes free of the sand’s grit, would be welcome indeed.

But no. He was _estel_, fated to be hope for the whole world beyond himself; and so he must be perfect, complete. If he lacked in himself, what could he offer?

He shielded his eyes from the bright mid-day sun, and began to climb the next dune.

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously the jinn of Harad are different from the jinn of Arabic mythology. They are my own mythology for this story and, while I have coopted the name, I don't mean to make any claim about the truth of that culture's folklore or on Tolkien's world.


End file.
